


♟Best Play♙

by iolana5050



Category: X-Men (Alternate Timeline Movies), X-Men (Movieverse), X-Men - All Media Types
Genre: Canon Compliant, Chess, Conversations, Dialogue Heavy, Happy Ending, M/M, Missing Scene, Old Friends, seriously, sooo much chess
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-15
Updated: 2020-07-21
Packaged: 2021-03-05 05:13:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 7,537
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25288861
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iolana5050/pseuds/iolana5050
Summary: Charles and Erik’s chats over their never-ending chess game throughout the years…(First Class ~ Dark Phoenix)
Relationships: Erik Lehnsherr & Charles Xavier, Erik Lehnsherr/Charles Xavier
Comments: 2
Kudos: 15





	1. ♟Pawn Game♙

**Author's Note:**

> This fic was written a few years ago by my friend, who has given me permission to post. Let us know what you think! :)
> 
> For a live reenactment of the game Charles and Erik play:  
> https://www.chess.com/analysis?diagram_id=4293526

_Charles's temporary room at the CIA Mutant Research base. He and Erik are in the middle of recruiting new mutants to the programme. Erik sees a chess board stored in a box._ _Soft classical music plays from a record player in the corner._

  
E: You play?  
C: Used to.  
E: Fancy a game?  
C: Fair warning, I'm a bit rusty.  
E: That makes two of us, my friend.

  
_Chess board set up, both recline in their chairs._

  
E: Pick a side.  
C: … You can have the first move.  
E: [grinning] Be warned, I'm not going to hold back.  
C: [leaning forward in recognition of the challenge] I expect no less.

E Pawn D4

C: Sending the pawns first, how old fashioned.

C Knight F6

E: It’s old because it works, my friend.

E Pawn C4

C: We'll see about that.

C Pawn G6

E: The King’s Indian Defence. Interesting…

E Pawn G3

C: Speaking of interesting, how are you finding our new guests?  
E: [shutting off the music with a wave] I wouldn't call them guests – we've dragged them out of their lives for our own agendas.  
C: We are giving them the opportunity to see that they are not alone in the world.

C Bishop G7

E: [leaning forward to get a different view of the board] You really think this is the best way to accomplish that?  
C: You’re worrying too much, my friend. The CIA are our allies, they want to know more about what's out there, just like us. Surely you can understand that?

E Pawn D5

C: Aggressive.  
E: One of us has to be, or this game won't get anywhere. Besides, "a good offence…"  
C: [subtle nod to acknowledge Erik's logic]

C Pawn D6

E: [reclines again, satisfied with C's reaction] I hope it is just me worrying, but when they start rounding us up, don't say I didn't warn you.  
C: People are scared of what they don't know, it's up to us to show them the way. We're probably the only two mutants in the world in this position – what we do here paves the way for how they see us. I want them to see us as friends.

_A brief silence._

  
E: They didn’t see me as a friend when they found us.

E Knight C3

C: I'm sorry, I didn't know. What happened?  
E: It's a long story…  
  


_A buzzer breaks the silence._

  
C: [grateful for the escape] Looks like it's going to have to wait either way – another "guest" Moira wants us to bring in.  
E: [amused] Where is it this time?  
C: New York, a taxi driver – should be fun.  
E: Interesting. Shall we?


	2. ♞Opening Exchange♘

_Charles's temporary room at the CIA Mutant Research base. After the recruitment of Darwin, the young mutants are talking with Raven downstairs._ _Frank Sinatra plays quietly._

  
C: Fancy picking up where we left off?  
E: You mean where I had unopposed control of the centre?  
C: Where I had you right where I wanted.  
E: [one eyebrow raised sceptically] I'll be disappointed if you're bluffing, Charles.  
C: I'll aim to please then.

C Pawn E6

E Pawn E4

C Kingside Castle

E: Do I scare you that much? Looks like whatever ploy you had failed.

E Bishop G5

C Pawn H6

_Charles smirks as Erik is annoyed at having to retreat from a meagre pawn._

  
C: What did you make of Mr Howlett though? He's the first person we failed to bring in.  
E: It was his choice, Charles. I'm impressed you managed to talk me into going along with all this, but there are people more stubborn than I, my friend.

E Bishop E3

C: His mind did seem troubled, though that could have been the alcohol…  
E: Perhaps it was for the best. Never mind any alcohol problems, a trained mercenary might cause unnecessary trouble for us.  
C: [considering this] You might be right.

C Pawn D5 X

E Pawn D5 X

C Knight D7

E: [thinking about his next moves] You know they are all giving themselves nicknames now.  
C: [tilting his head, eyebrows raised quizzically]  
E: Armando is calling himself Darwin now. Something about his body adapting to any challenges it is faced with.

E Pawn F3

C: [laughs] That goes completely against Darwin's theory! He should have called himself Lamarck.  
E: [not willing to ask who Lamarck is] Are you here to teach them how to protect themselves, or to lecture them on the history of evolutionary biology?  
C: [Not put off by Erik's tone] Why not both? When we reach more stable times... Mutation and evolution are a part of our heritage, not only as mutants, but as humans too.

C Knight E5

E: [amused but impressed by Charles's optimism] If you could build a world where mutants, out in the open, were safe enough to learn about Lamarck… that world honestly doesn't sound too bad.  
C: Thank you. But I can't do it alone, my friend.  
E: [pausing before rejecting the invitation outright] Maybe after all this is over…  
C: [laughs] That depends on us beating Shaw.


	3. ♝Trap♗

_Washington DC. Charles and Erik are taking a brief break to celebrate the creation of Division X._

  
E: [jogging up the steps of the Lincoln memorial] Here seems as good a spot as any to resume our game – you did bring it, right?  
C: [climbing up after E, tired from a day of carrying around the backpack from which he retrieves a chessboard] Of course, but are you sure it's okay to play here?  
E: It's a free country. At least, that’s what the people who built all these monuments claimed.  
C: [catching his breath, too tired to argue while Erik sets up the game] Very well. It's your move.  
E: [scanning the lay of the board] You don't know how annoying your knights are.

_  
Charles doesn't attempt to hide his smug smile, appreciating the justice, as Erik never offered to carry the backpack, when he was the one who insisted on bringing the dammed chess set!_

E Queen D2

C Pawn C6

E: You're not going to push your advantage?  
C: Patience, my friend. Your defence is better than you know.

E Pawn D6 X

C Pawn D5

E: Uncharacteristically sly, Charles, hiding your queen behind a pawn.

E Queenside Castle

C: I could say the same of your sudden defensiveness. Well, there's no point hiding once I've been spotted.

C Queen A5

E: I know when I need to retreat, my friend.

E Pawn D5 X

C Knight D5 X

E Knight D5 X

C: [seeing his mistake will lose him the exchange] Ah…  
E: [somewhat annoyed] I know you better than to think that was a mistake – I hope you're going easy on me.  
C: Sorry, my thoughts are a mess.  
E: [concerned] What is it Charles?  
C: I can't stop thinking about the others out there, all those minds I touched… I could feel them – their isolation, their hopes, their ambitions. I tell you, we're at the start of something incredible, Erik. We can help them.  
E: Can we? Identification – that’s how it starts. And it ends with being rounded up, experimented on, eliminated.  
C: Not this time. We have common enemies: Shaw, the Russians. They need us.  
E: For now.  
C: This is our chance to show the world we mean well. First impressions count, Erik.  
E: [sombre] Shaw has already made an impression.  
C: [appreciating the truth of Erik's words] All the more reason to show them that we are capable of good  
E: Time will tell if you succeed. Anyway, let's leave it here, we can't have you making any more stupid mistakes, or it would be too easy.  
C: [laughing] Thanks. Fancy taking a walk around these "monuments to our freedom"?

_  
They walk through a forested area, Erik carrying the backpack with minimal effort._

C: Why did you want to come here anyway?  
E: Inspiration, Charles... And I didn't say "our": American people are free to do and say as they wish, Charles. Why not mutants?  
C: Mutants are people, Erik.  
E: [looking at the statue of Washington] Do they think that? Maybe we should follow America's example and claim our rights and freedoms with our own hands.  
C: The war for independence cost lives for both sides. We should learn from the mistakes of our past, not repeat them.  
E: Was it really a mistake? These people are free and happy because of it.  
C: The ends should never justify the means; what if they lost? All those lives would have been for nothing.  
E: [pausing from the weight of Charles's words] We wouldn't lose.  
C: Are you willing to bet our lives? Deep down, I don't think you're that kind of man, Erik.

_  
Erik considers this for a while, as they continue on their walk.  
  
_


	4. ♜Touch Move♖

_After Shaw's attack on the CIA base, the remaining mutants have moved to the mansion. Charles is sulking alone, in front of the fireplace with an empty wine glass. It is_ _1962: the eve of the Cuban Missile Crisis._

  
E: [after noticing Charles, and thinking of the best way to cheer him up] Want to pick up where we left off?  
C: I'd rather drink.  
E: [pours himself a martini, and a glass of whiskey for Charles] Why not both?  
C: [relenting] Fine, your move isn't it?  
E: Did you want to take back your last move?  
C: No… Actions have consequences. Our last encounter with Shaw told us that much.

C Queen A2

_  
Erik thinks of his next move, watching the shadows cast by the chess pieces dancing on the table in the firelight._

  
C: [softly] You were right – we brought them here because we needed them, and now Darwin’s dead because of it… because of us.  
E: His blood is NOT on our hands, you were trying to protect them from Shaw. You mustn't lose control now Charles, not when we are so close.  
C: [defensively, but in slight admiration] How can you stay so calm in all of this? Doesn't his death bother you?  
E: Of course it does, Charles. I see his face every time I close my eyes… alongside everyone else I couldn’t save.

E Knight E7

E: "Check" … You're the telepath, why don't you take a look?

C King H7

_Accepting Erik's invitation, Charles looks and sees Erik's final memories of his mother, along with memories of all his childhood friends in the camps._

  
C: [puts down glass, uncertain of his grip] Your mother… I'm so sorry, I didn’t-  
E: It's fine. You couldn’t have known. [drinks]

E Queen B4

E: [attempting to break the silence] What do you think the Americans would do to combat Shaw, if we weren't here? Or the Cubans for that matter?  
C: Cuba, Russia, America – makes no difference.

C Bishop E6

C: Shaw's declared war on mankind, on all of us. He has to be stopped.  
E: I'm not going to stop Shaw, I'm going to kill him. Do you have it in you to allow that?

E Queen A3

_Charles does not want to contradict Erik after inadvertently making him relive such painful memories._

  
E: You’ve known all along why I was here Charles, but things have changed. What started as a covert mission… tomorrow, mankind will know that mutants exist. Shaw, us – they won't differentiate. They’ll fear us. And that fear will turn to hatred.  
C: Not if we stop a war, not if we can prevent Shaw, not if we risk our lives doing so.  
E: Would they do the same for us?  
C: We have it in us to be the better men.  
E: We already are! We are the next stage of human evolution, you said it yourself.  
C: No. NO!  
E: Are you really so naive as to think that they won't battle their own extinction? Or is it arrogance?  
C: I'm sorry?  
E: After tomorrow, they are going to turn on us, but you're blinded because you believe they are all like Moira.  
C: And you believe they're all like Shaw… Listen very carefully my friend, killing Shaw will not bring you peace.  
E: Peace was never an option. Shaw has done too much for me to let him walk away from this.  
  


_Charles, seeing that continuing the debate will only cause more pain for Erik, says nothing._

C Queen A3

E Pawn A3 X

C Pawn C6 X

C: [trying to move the conversation on, while Erik stares at the board] Can you believe Angel actually chose to go with that murderer?  
E: Can you say with certainty that she made the wrong choice, Charles?

E Pawn F4

C: I suppose not, my friend… I suppose none of us will know if we made the right choices till this whole thing ends.

C Knight G4

_  
Erik nods in agreement, downing the last of his drink, before looking for his next move._

  
C: [realising how much time has passed after seeing the dimly lit wall clock] Thanks for the company, my friend, but I think we both need some sleep if we are to have any chance against Shaw tomorrow.  
E: [glad that Charles seems to be feeling better] I don’t know what you mean Charles, I was just taking the opportunity to squeeze some more mistakes out of your drunk brain.  
C: [laughs] I know what alcohol can do to someone! I think I'm careful enough… Good night, Erik.  
E: I look forward to the next time, my friend.

E Bishop C5


	5. חבר שלי

_Charles wheels himself into a dusty room, where their last chess game was relocated, pieces undisturbed. He pauses at the threshold, before quietly shutting the door behind him. Faint noise from the Passover celebrations upstairs arranged for Bobby can no longer be heard. He wheels slowly around the room, drawn to the windows as the sole light source, he appreciates the nostalgic view of the manor gardens, and, after taking a moment to savour his memories, takes his seat at the board._

  
C: [mumbling his thoughts aloud] I could threaten his knight…

_Charles moves his castle to F8, then wheels himself round to see Erik's point of view._

  
C: But then knowing him, he'd just return the favour…

_He puts the piece back where it was._

  
C: Moving my knight now would be conceding any chance to pull off the two Forks I had planned… Did he know I was planning them? You always did seem to know what was on my mind…

_‘I on the other hand… How was I so blind to you…’ Charles thinks but does not say aloud. He wheels himself back to his own side after some time._

  
C: His king seems so exposed, but he has all my pieces tied down blocking his attacks. Maybe you were right: "good offence is the best defence"…

_Charles finally realises the significance of Erik’s last move._

  
C: He managed to escape both forks? And he called me the sly one…  
  


_After staring silently at the board for many minutes, Charles's face brightens up._

C: Ha! You thought you’d escaped my trap, but I'll just make another for you…

C Castle A→B8

C: [struck by the absence of any witty retort] I wonder what you'd make of this, my friend… Where are you?


	6. ♛King Hunt♕

_Charles is wheeled through various security scanners, and patted down before he enters an elevator. The doors open on the lowest level, with a passageway leading to a single cell. Inside is Erik, lying on the bed, resigned to his imprisonment. It is 1963, weeks after the assassination of JFK._

  
C: Hello, Erik.  
E: [pleasantly surprised] Charles? How did you…?  
C: I still have some friends in the CIA, when I heard what you did-  
E: [sitting up on the bed, eyebrows raised with a subtle smile] What did you hear exactly?  
C: [sharply] That you…

_Charles notices Erik's cues and reads his mind. He sees Erik's memories, and feels his insistence they are being watched, despite assurances to the contrary from the CIA. He realises the full truth might have to wait, but that Erik bore no ill will to Kennedy._

C: …killed the president.  
E: So that's the story – a tidy explanation for a curving bullet, I suppose. Is that why you're here, to get a confession out of me?  
C: I don’t know what the people that let me in here want, maybe it was just to stop my nagging. I was very persistent.  
E: I know how stubborn you can be.  
C: Takes one to know one, my friend. [opening his bag, revealing a plastic chess set] I actually came to see if you wanted to continue our game.

_Erik is grateful for the company. He gestures to the bed in the absence of chairs, and helps Charles up._

E: Of course. [setting up the board] Is it still your move?  
C: [gesturing to the castle] I made it.  
E: Ah, okay… Interesting…

E Knight F3

C Bishop B2

C: Check.

E King D2

C Castle F→D8

_Erik acts quickly, before Charles can say "check" again._

E Bishop D3

C: [locking eyes with Erik] I have to ask… where is Raven?  
E: [glancing at the supposedly inoperative camera] I'm sorry Charles, I don't know.

_Charles, realising Erik's answers might put her in danger, leaves the topic alone. Although Erik provides images of her seemingly healthy and happy after Charles inquires again using his powers._

C Castle B5

C: I suppose we can only hope she is safe…  
E: So, what have you been doing this whole time? The one good thing about getting caught like this is getting to catch up with an old friend.

E Bishop B7

C: [smirking] Am I old now? I suppose I am in a wheelchair.  
E: [reminded of the guilt] I'm sorry, if I could-  
C: It's in the past, old friend, and I do not blame you.

_Erik remains sullen from guilt._

C Castle D7

C: [trying to lighten Erik's pain] In any case, it gives me an excuse to get wheeled around the school. You should take her for a spin – handles like a dream.  
E: [distracted from his guilt, eyeing the plastic chair] I'm sure I could make some improvements… You have a school?

_Erik notices and dodges another one of Charles’s annoying Forks._

E Knight C6

C: [quietly proud] A school for "gifted youngsters".  
E: [eyes widen with realisation] You actually did it… Look after those kids, Charles, they are our future.

C Castle B3

C: They are quite safe, my friend. My only regret is that we couldn't do it together.  
E: This is still a dangerous world for those children, Charles. I was only trying to make it safer.

E Knight D4

_Charles is impressed by Erik's fork._

E: [glancing at the camera] Am I the only one they have?  
C: I don't know…

_Switching to telepathy, Charles shows Erik images of Havoc, Beast, and Banshee helping him build the school; Havoc's non-mutant brother Scott is also shown admiring the mutants around him._ _Erik, returning the favour, brings up visions of Mystique, Azazel, and Riptide fighting a masked enemy._

_  
Charles asks telepathically: Where is Angel?_

  
E: [reluctantly] I'm so sorry Charles…

_Erik shows him visions of Angel getting shot by the masked agents, made murky by feelings of sorrow, guilt, and anger. Charles catches himself from falling into the same spiral, and shows Erik happier memories from when they recruited Angel._

E: [grateful for being able to see Angel smile again] Thank you. You know, sometimes I think you are the most gifted of us all…

C Bishop C3

C: Check… It's the way I chose to use it, my friend. You know, if you had said that to me when I first gained these powers, I would have thought you were crazy.  
E: What do you mean?  
C: Take a 9-year-old boy, in a not-so-perfect family and put stranger's voices in his head… I thought I was going mad, Erik.  
E: I see… When did you realise the voices were real?  
C: It's a good question… I'd say when I'd notice one of the voices would get quieter after my mother had been drinking… That's when I first drew a link between the voices, and other people. I must have been 11? Then Raven came along almost a year later, and then I was sure: I could hear people's thoughts, and I could let them hear mine.

_While Charles thinks of his next move, the doors open, revealing an armed guard assembled outside._

C: Looks like I've outstayed my welcome.  
E: [reluctantly lifting Charles off the bed, back onto his chair] Feel free to visit again, my friend.  
C: [quiet enough for only Erik to hear] If they let me…  
E: [shouting as Charles is getting wheeled away] You're forgetting your board!  
C: [shouting back as the doors close behind him] Hold on to it – you'll need some entertainment down here.

_Erik smiles at the doors after they are shut._


	7. Adjournment

_A few weeks after Charles’ visit, Erik is lying in bed awake, arms aching after his latest round of exercise – there's not much else to do in this cell._

_The constant bright light of the cell makes telling the time virtually impossible. A few days into his imprisonment, however, he learnt that if he listens, the faint echoes from the world above his prison can just be heard. He listens, but only hears silence in return: it must be night. The government workers have gone home to their families, leaving him in his cell._ _  
  
_

E: Out of sight out of mind…

_  
…but he wasn’t ready to be forgotten just yet. Giving up on sleep, he leaves the bed, moving to the corner where he keeps Charles's chess set. Although he was given it to relieve his boredom, something stopped him from disrupting the pieces and starting a new game. Instead, he sits cross-legged in front of it, hoping that he can find a way to finally defeat Charles when he next visits. If they let him return. If he wants to return…_

_  
After a few seconds, he decides his move; Charles hadn't left him with much choice in the end._

E King C1

_  
Still awake, his body stubbornly refusing to relax, he stays facing the board, plotting a strategy to trap his opponent. After several minutes, or hours (he had no way of knowing, and frankly he had stopped caring about keeping track of time – it wasn’t like he had deadlines or appointments to keep; in that way, being in prison was liberating), he finally felt a wave of tiredness wash over him._

  
E: [climbing back into his bed] Time will tell if it works.

_He wonders if Charles is cunning enough to escape his newest trap._


	8. ♚Sacrificial Piece♔

_Erik is doing press-ups in the centre of the room. Hearing faint footsteps through the reinforced doors, he stops and feels for the presence of metal, convinced his captors will slip up one day and he will be ready for it. No metal, but he feels the touch of a familiar mind. He does what he can to freshen up for his guest._

_The doors slide open. Charles wheels in, bag slung around the handle of his chair._

C: Expecting someone?  
E: Only you.  
C: Good – do you have our game?  
E: [fetching it from its home in the corner, and placing it and Charles on the bed] Any news from the outside world?  
C: The war doesn't look like it's ending soon. There's talk of conscription; I don't know if the school can survive that…

C Bishop B2

C: Check.  
E: [grimly reminded of the war that stole his childhood] Humans don't change.

E King C2

C: I've been thinking – you were taken here only days after being apprehended for "assassinating" the president. Who do you think this prison was for, before you?  
E: [glad he's asking the right questions] Some other mutant that can manipulate metal? There's no trace of metal anywhere near this cell.  
C: [laughing] You think they have a cell for a telepath hidden somewhere?

C Knight E3

C: Check. Finally, you're not getting away from this unscathed.

E King D2

C Knight D1 X

E: [pausing before taking the knight, and noticing Charles seems anxious this time] Is something wrong, Charles?

_Charles hesitates for a moment, before touching Erik's mind, showing him the locations of all the microphones. He asks him to produce an EMP to create interference._

C: I'm sorry Erik, I know this probably means I won't see you for a while.  
E: [suspicious at the restricted nature of Charles's telepathy, but feeling the urgency in Charles's mind] It's done. They can't hear us, but they’ll be here when they realise it's not a malfunction. We don't have much time.  
E: [concerned] I thought telepathy was secure enough?  
C: [calm façade collapsing] So did I, my friend, until recently… Banshee is dead; there might be agents at the school. I don't know who to trust-  
E: [putting a hand on Charles's shoulder] Slow down, Charles, what happened?  
C: [taking a steadying breath] Banshee left the school to see family who were in town; no one outside the school knew about this, and now I can't feel his mind… I need you to tell me all you know about project Wide Awake.  
E: [frowning] I know them too well. They killed Angel, and possibly Azazel. They’re a task force created by the government to "study" mutants.  
C: [guilty for not keeping a closer eye on government affairs] I see…  
E: You did nothing wrong Charles. You were naïve; humans are cruel.  
C: Only some, Erik. I refuse to lose hope in humanity, even now.  
E: Damn it, Charles, can't you see? They want us dead! Or in some lab somewhere!  
C: Not all of them. Not Moira.  
E: Can you be sure about that? You said that there could be an agent in the mansion. Where is Moira now?  
C: …  
E: You can't trust her. [speeding up, realising their time is running out] You said you didn't trust your telepathy, what did you mean?  
C: I think they have Emma. She's either dead, or hiding her mind and working with them.  
E: [pausing to consider the implications of this new information] You have to delete my memories of your visits Charles – they don't know you're onto them.  
C: I can't do that to you, Erik!  
E: You have to. If they know you know about them, they’ll see the school as a threat, and you know how these people deal with threats.  
C: I can't…

_They both turn, hearing footsteps outside as the security team prepare to enter. Erik quickly whispers a plan to Charles._

  
E: It'll be up to you, Charles. Good luck, my friend.  
C: [breathing, trying to compose himself] I'm so sorry.

_When the doors open, security personnel drag Erik off Charles. Both are in tears, and Charles's face is bloodied. Erik is restrained by several guard members, while Charles is taken to his chair and frantically wheeled out to waiting medics._

C: [hanging limp in the arms of a security member as he's taken to his chair and angrily wheeled out] I think it's best we both forget this visit ever happened. I'll miss you, old friend.  
E: [screaming over the shouts of the guards pinning him in the centre of the cell] No Charles, stay out of my head!  
C: [softly, as the doors close behind him] Goodbye, Erik.

_Erik falls unconscious from the strain of having his memories stolen. In the years to come, Charles tried to find out more about project Wide Awake. But when the school shut, these memories were among those buried with the help of various drugs to help him sleep._


	9. ♟Countergambit♙

_A Twinjet in flight at night. Inside, the passengers are quiet, but the cabin is illuminated by faint flashes of light from a distant thunderstorm. The carpet stained with whiskey._

E: [bringing over a chess set] Fancy a game?  
C: [turning away in his seat] I'm not in the mood for games, thank you.  
E: [pouring them both whiskey] I haven't had a real sip in 10 years … I didn't kill the president  
C: The bullet curved, Erik.  
E: Because I was trying to save him. They took me out before I could.  
C: Why would you try and save him?  
E: Because he was one of us.  
C: [realising Erik was right all along] You must think me so foolish; you've always said they would come after us.  
E: I never imagined they would use Raven's DNA to do it.  
C: [a hint of jealousy] When did you last see her?  
E: [taking a seat opposite Charles] The day I left for Dallas.  
C: How was she?  
E: Strong, driven, loyal.  
C: [noticing Erik trying to avoid the question] How- how was she?  
E: [struggling to find words] She was.. We were… I could see why she meant so much to you.  
C: [softly] Yeah.  
E: You should be proud of her Charles [leaning forward] She's out there fighting for our cause.  
C: _Your_ cause. The girl I raised, she was not capable of killing.  
E: You didn’t _raise_ her, you grew up with her. She couldn’t stay a little girl forever. That's why she left.  
C: [leaning forward, matching Erik's posture] She left because you got inside her head.  
E: That's not my power. She made a choice.  
C: [vindicated] But now we know where that choice leads, don't we? She's going to murder Trask, they're going to capture her, and then they're going to wipe us out.  
E: Not if we get to her first. Not if we change history tomorrow. [seeing there is only one definite solution] I'm sorry Charles… for what happened, I truly am.

_‘We have to kill her,’ Erik is thinking. But he is realising that Charles will try to stop him._

C: [downs the last of his whiskey] It's been a while since I've played.  
E: I'll go easy on you. Might finally be a fair fight.  
C: It's your move.  
E: Did you make a move since we last played?

_Charles realises Erik has set up the board the way he remembered, from the night before the Cuban missile crisis. To his mind, that was the last time they played._

C: Yeah…

C Castle A→B8

_Logan comes to watch as they play silently, but gets bored after a few minutes, returning to his chair to nap. They continue playing for the remainder of the flight, making the same moves as before, Charles knowingly, Erik perhaps by sheer chance._

C: [smiling at his friend] You never change, old friend.  
E: Is something funny, Charles?

E Castle D1 X

C Bishop D4 X

C: [amused] Do you believe in fate?

E Knight D4 X

C Castle A3 X

E Bishop C5

E: [considering if he wants a serious answer] In our current situation, I have to believe we can change our fates.  
C: Do you think we're still playing chess in the future?  
E: Considering it took us over a decade to reach the midgame, we might still be playing the same game.  
C: [laughing] Let's hope we don't have any more unpleasant interruptions like that.  
E: [raising his glass] I will toast to that old friend.

_Charles taps his glass to Erik's._

C Castle A2

C: Check.

E King E3

C: Sending the king to fight with his troops?  
E: You rather brought the fight to him. Besides, a king who sits back has nothing to do but wait to be checkmated.  
C: Or wait for his people to checkmate the other king.  
E: Is that why yours is hiding in his fort?  
C: [grinning] If that fort wasn't there, you'd have checkmated me hours ago.  
E: [annoyed that his opponent is well aware of the nuisance his defended king causes] You can't prolong your defeat forever, my friend.  
C: We'll see about that…

_As Charles begins looking for his next move, the chess pieces shudder, as the plane shakes from turbulence. Hank shouts from the cockpit that they need to get through the storm to reach the airport._

C: Speak of the devil.  
E: Hopefully this interruption will be shorter than the last.

_Charles laughing in agreement, they pack away the pieces. Feeling exhausted, Charles turns in his chair to try and sleep, asking Erik to wake him when they land. Erik stays sitting opposite him, watching at the storm._ __  
  



	10. ♞Slow Game♘

_Taking some time to de-stress after the events at the White House, Erik and Charles are sitting on the grass, in a forested corner of the X Mansion grounds, secluded from the other residents._

C: [noticing apprehension in Erik's mind] It's been good having you here, old friend. Is anything the matter?  
E: [reluctantly] Actually, I was meaning to ask you… do you know what happened to Logan?  
C: [playfully] Feeling guilty for flinging him into a river, are we?  
E: He can take something like that.  
C: I don't doubt it, but if you're planning on apologising, I think he'd rather you just stayed out of his way.  
E: I wasn’t planning on apologising. I just… have a feeling… Promise me you'll look for him with Cerebro. If he's okay, I'll buy you a beer, but if not…  
C: [laughs] Then you owe me a beer, old friend! Raven fished him out of the river a few days ago. He left a few days before you arrived, possibly after hearing that you were coming.  
E: Thank you, old friend…. and you'll get your beer.  
C: Of course I will. [reaching for his chair] While we’re out here, fancy a game? I used to play my grandfather under this tree.  
E: [getting up to fetch the chess set from the chair] Does every tree in your garden have some fond childhood memory attached to it?  
C: [looking at each tree while Erik sets up] …Not that one. I once tried to climb it.  
E: [looking over to see a tall beech tree] You fell?

C Bishop G4

C: If only… I climbed up fine enough, but for some reason, I couldn’t get back down. I must have been stuck up there for hours.  
E: How did you get down?

E Knight F3

C Castle G2

C: In the end Raven found me. She helped guide me back to safety – after she finished giggling.  
E: [laughs] How did you live that one down, getting saved by your little sister?

E Knight E5

C: She was probably used to saving me by then, and thank god it was her that found me and not my stepbrother.  
E: [surprised] You have other siblings?  
C: Believe me, old friend, they're overrated.

C Bishop D1 X

E Knight D7 X

C Castle H2 X

C: Out of interest, what do you make of the kid, Peter?  
E: [analysing Charles's curious smile] He's a good kid. Why do you ask?  
C: [failing to completely hide his grin] No reason.  
E: He seems a bit immature… Why, do you want to enrol him here?  
C: He seems to be doing fine with his mother, and right now, we can't spare the manpower to cater for kids his age.

E Knight F6

E: Check.

C King G7

E: From what I can see, the country is tired of war at this point. Your teachers might be back sooner than you think.  
C: I hope so, and hopefully the war-weariness extends to mutants, especially after what Raven did…  
E: They think she's a hero. You must be proud… and you won't have to worry about me trying to assassinate any more presidents.  
C: Are you sure I can't convince you to stay, or even spend another night?  
E: I'm a wanted man Charles. Me staying here would endanger you, and this school. That's the last thing I want.

E Bishop D4

E: [levitating a spinning a penny] Maybe later, after the world forgets about "Magneto". Besides, there are some old ghosts I have to confront before I move forward… and I have to do that alone.  
C: [seeing that Erik cannot be convinced] Stay safe, Erik.  
E: Likewise… I hope there'll still be a vacancy when I get back.  
C: There's always room for you here, old friend.

_Charles is packing up the chess set when an idea strikes him._

C: Before you go, can I interest you in a recruitment trip? I've managed to track down one particular mutant that seems… a bit of a handful for me alone.  
E: [jokingly] You're a telepath, you can convince anyone to join this school.  
C: So is she. But I have a feeling telepathy is not all she's got hiding up her sleeve.  
E: A “feeling”? You're not the type to make a move based off your gut Charles.  
C: I can't explain it. All I can say is – she's special, Erik.  
E: … I am intrigued. Who exactly is this girl?  
C: We can find out together, old friend.


	11. ♝Endgame♗

_After defeating Apocalypse, Jean is sheltering with Scott under an oak tree, exhausted from rebuilding part of the X Mansion, even with Erik's help. Erik and Charles are sitting on the grass with their chessboard and some drinks._

E: It's been a while since we played chess out here.  
C: Indeed it has, old friend. I've missed it.

C King F8

E Bishop C5

E: Check. Me too, Charles. I was planning on visiting after the trip, but apparently people were stubborn to forget about "Magneto".  
C: You're forgiven now, but what happened on your trip that kept you gone for so long?  
E: It's a long story … I flew to Germany first, where we grew up. I found where our house once stood – apparently a bomb hit it. I looked at my old school, and then left for Poland.

C King G7

E Knight E8

E: Check.  
C: Retracing your steps?  
E: That was my plan. I wanted to remember my parents, my life – before Shaw. In Poland, I met a human. She was different from the others: no prejudice. I told her who I was, but instead of going to the police, she gave me a chance to explain my actions. If all humans were like her, the world would be better.  
C: You left to start a family?

C King G8

E: We had a daughter Charles, before they...  
C: [breaking eye contact as he realises how this ends] Your daughter, what was she like?  
E: She was sweet; she loved animals. Every day there'd be a stray dog, or passing deer come to say hello. She would look after them, and they would play with her.  
C: I see. Must have been nice.  
E: It was peaceful… What about you, though? What were you doing all this time?  
C: Still teaching, old friend. It got easier after the war, when we got some of the teachers back. I had plans to turn this place into a university. Not just for mutants, but for everyone. It would have set an example for the world, that we can co-exist.

E Bishop E4

E: It still could, but- [gesturing to the ruined half of the mansion] what exactly happened after we left?  
C: From what Hank tells me, a generator exploded in the wrong place.  
E: How did everyone survive?  
C: Not everyone…You remember Alex? Scott's older brother? He was closest to the blast. He didn’t make it.

_Erik says nothing, but he feels guilty. Charles wonders if now is the right time to tell Erik about his son._

C: It's Peter you have to thank for saving all these kids.  
E: [pausing to think] The fast one? Quicksilver?  
C: You really ought to get to know him better. He did break you out of prison.

C Pawn H5

E Bishop D6

E: I'm here if he wants to talk, but why him in particular?  
C: [changing the subject] It's not just him – what did you make of Jean? It's been a while since the two of you last talked.

_Erik is suspicious that Charles is hiding something, but relents and goes along with the subject change._

  
E: You were right about her. She was a tricky one to reach.  
C: I did warn you.

C Bishop B3

E Bishop E5

E: The look on her face when she saw she wasn't the only one who could lift cars…  
C: [laughs] I remember it well. She seemed pretty keen to enrol after that.  
E: It's amazing, though. Her powers surpass both of ours to such an extent. Imagine what she could do…  
C: It also means she has her work cut out trying to control them, and the other kids are scared of her… Do you think you could talk to her while you’re here? Teach her how to control her powers? I've tried, but maybe you can get through to her, as someone with similar powers.

C King F8

E Knight F6

C King E7

E: She should be celebrated, not feared. I'll talk to her Charles, but don't expect a miracle. It took me years to be able to use my powers the way I can now.  
C: Thank you, Erik.  
E: I hope you're not trying to turn me into one of your teachers, Charles.

E Knight G8

E: Check.

C King E6

C: [with a wry smile] Of course not… But if you happen to like it, the vacancy is still open. You could teach them physics, I'm sure the kids would enjoy your magnetic field demonstrations.  
E: I'm sorry Charles, I have plans of my own. If they work, it will save other mutants that can't coexist with humanity – maybe even stop the next "Magneto" from appearing.  
C: That sounds unusually optimistic of you, Erik.  
E: Maybe you've rubbed off on me.

E Knight F6

C Pawn H4

C: I hope I have, old friend.

E Pawn H4 X

C Rook H3

C: Check.

E King D4

C: I know you can't stay, but would you mind helping with one last thing after we fix the house?  
E: What's that?  
C: Hank is busy with his work in the government, but he drew up plans for a new Cerebro.  
E: You want me to build a machine that lets you look into my head, no matter where I am on earth?  
C: How else do you expect to stay in contact? We need to finish our game somehow!  
E: [pausing to think] Maybe that's not so bad an idea – I might be difficult to reach through normal means where I'm planning to go. Okay then, I'll have another look at the blueprints.  
C: Thank you again, old friend.  
E: I haven't agreed to doing anything yet, Charles.  
C: Of course, Erik…

_Jean stands up, moving out from under the shelter of the tree. Erik and Charles exchange looks, before packing up the chessboard, and get ready to resume rebuilding the mansion_ _._


	12. ♜Epilogue♖

_Charles is drinking tea on a busy Parisian street at midday. It is 1992, following the Dark Phoenix incident. Erik approaches Charles from behind, carrying a briefcase. Charles notices Erik's familiar mind but is reluctant to turn to face him. Erik takes the empty seat opposite Charles._

E: How's retirement treating you?  
C: What are you doing here, Erik?  
E: Came to see an old friend. Fancy a game?  
C: [crossing his arms] Not today, thank you.  
E: I know losing Jean must have been hard for you.  
C: It's not that… I had no right doing what I did to her.  
E: You were only trying to help.  
C: You know as well as I – that’s no excuse.  
E: You've forgiven people for worse.  
C: You've killed them for less.  
E: Seems like we've both done things we regret… but it wasn't all bad. A long time ago, you saved my life.

_Charles finally looks up._

E: And then you offered me a home. I'd like to do the same for you.  
C: [considering the offer] Genosha? What can I do there that I can't do out here?  
E: [smiling] You can help people, Charles, it's what you do. There are mutants there who have lost everything. We can give them a home, old friend.  
C: … I'll consider it, but let me enjoy a bit of my retirement first. I have a guided tour along the Seine planned in a few minutes.  
E: [holds up both hands] Just one game. For old times' sake?  
C: Want to pick up where we left off?  
E: Actually, I think it's time for us to leave that particular game behind us, don't you think?

C: You might be right, old friend.

_Erik picks up one white piece and one black piece. Concealing one in each hand, he holds them out in front of him for Charles to choose. After a pause, Charles picks white._

E: [opening the chess set] I'll go easy on you.  
C: No, you won’t.

_They both smile as they begin playing anew._   
  



End file.
